ARS | Publication request: On-farm Preservation and Pretreatment of Perennial Grasses for Fuel Ethanol Production

Submitted to: American Institute of Chemical Engineers Annual Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: May 21, 2010
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Recently, wet storage methods have been proposed for feedstock preservation and on-farm storage of perennial grass and corn stover biomass. The advantages over a dry storage system include lower risk of fire, reduced harvest costs, and improved feedstock susceptibility to enzymatic hydrolysis. We believe that wet storage systems may also present a unique opportunity to add value to the feedstock through chemical or biological pretreatment. In-storage pretreatments at ambient temperature and pressure but prolonged reaction times may lower pretreatment costs and provide better return for farmers. Our research investigates the ability of on-farm pretreatments with dilute acid, alkali, ozone or novel enzymes to improve enzymatic degradability of cellulose and hemicelluloses in biomass at the biorefinery.